Halle Potter and the Ritual of Becoming
by D.A. Studebaker
Summary: All her life, Halle Potter has been a little bit different. But even beyond a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt carved into her forehead and the lasting effects of hyphema in the form of a discolored eye, Halle has understood that, to some degree, she's important to the world and integral in the future. But whatever madness comes her way, Halle Potter will be ready.


So, this one was born out of several divergences from canon I came up with as well as a desire to change a few more of what I see as fundamental flaws in the Harry Potter universe. The list is a long and muddled one that usually takes the form of a good-natured rant when I'm asked about it at work or somesuch place. In any case, I ended up lumping most of my past ideas for fan fictions all into one completely new universe, one where Harry Potter was born the very female Halle Potter and led a very different life as a result. I'm not a hundred percent sure where I'm taking this, or even if I'll take it anywhere, but depending on the reception, I might keep this going.

* * *

To say that Minerva McGonagall was upset on 4 July, 1982, would have been a grievous understatement. Under normal circumstances, Minvera didn't let herself get worked up into a lather, finding that a calm, composed reaction often worked wonders toward a swift and smooth solution to a problem. Such things as a heated emotional outburst or a knee-jerk response rarely made the situation better and often had the opposing effect, and that sort of conduct was unbecoming the Head of House Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress of the finest school in Great Britain.

Thus, it was likely a bit of a shock to Albus Dumbledore when the door to his office burst open with such force that a splintering crack sounded upon its collision with his wall. In swooped Minerva, bearing with her all the considerable fury her Scottish temperament was capable of. She wasn't merely upset on this day; she was absolutely livid, a seething rage that had been stewing ever since that fateful Halloween night on Privet Drive.

"I told you, Albus," she said in a stern tone, briskly crossing the distance to his desk and moving to sit with a whirl of her robes that would have made Severus proud. "I told you that those...muggles couldn't be trusted with a _houseplant_ let alone the care of a child."

"I assume, then, Minerva, that you've heard the latest about Halle?" Albus sighed, and Minerva positively bristled.

"I've heard that she'll be lucky to regain sight in her right eye after what that bastard of a man did to her," she said. "I've heard that if she were a muggle child she would have permanent brain damage. I don't think there's much more to tell, is there? Or would you like to explain to me how this living arrangement sounded like anything more than the absolute worst idea since Hagrid tried to domesticate a werewolf?"

"I thought that perhaps…Petunia's love for her sister would open her up to treating Halle as one of her own," Albus sighed. To his credit, he seemed rather shaken by the situation himself. "I confess that I didn't realize the depths of Vernon's intolerance."

"What was it that set him off?" Minerva asked.

"Halle called him 'Dada' when she was being put to bed," Albus sighed. "Vernon rather…took issue with that."

"'Rather took issue'?" Minerva repeated. "That's how we're going to refer to the action of backhanding a _two-year-old girl_!? Did you see what he did to the girl's face? The damage he did to her eye?"

"I will be the first to admit that I was perhaps…mistaken in my assessment of Vernon Dursley's capacity to be a parent," Albus spoke calmly, which only seemed to irritate Minerva more.

"How can you possibly be so…unaffected by this!?" she shrieked. "Albus, Halle could have _died_ because of the monsters _you_ left her with! You need to take responsibility for this!"

"There is more here at work than a simple custody arrangement, Minerva," Albus intoned gravely. "Lily left a very specific protection on Halle, one that only remains in effect so long as she lives with her blood relatives. Unfortunately, that exclusively means Petunia Dursley."

"That doesn't mean that her whole life needs to be a parade of misery," Minerva shot back. "I'll stay with the family, I'll watch over and supervise - "

"It is in Halle's best interests that she not know of the existence of our world," Albus said. "Not until she's - "

"I _hardly_ think Halle's best interests are anything _you_ should decide," Minerva cut him off. "I've placed a great deal of faith in you in the past, Albus, because even the most foolish decisions you've made have somehow turned out for the best. Perhaps it was dumb luck this whole time, perhaps you've bought into your own mystique, but this is where it ends. I _will_ be staying with the girl and her…family."

Albus said nothing for a long moment, his baby-blue eyes staring into Minerva's. The moment felt tense, neither willing to brook any sort of denial of their own wishes. Before things could come to a head, though, the timely arrival of another guest brought their attention to the door.

"Albus!" Filius squeaked, his little legs carrying him hurriedly toward the desk. He was brandishing a newspaper, and a closer inspection told Minerva that it was today's edition of the _Evening Prophet_. Minerva caught a brief glimpse of the headline.

'_The Girl-Who-Live Hospitalized!'_

"How did it get out?" she asked, and Filius shook his head.

"That damnable Skeeter woman," he grumbled. "Albus, it's all out there. Where you left her, how they've been treating her, there's even an image of her face with all of that bruising and-Lucius Malfoy is on the warpath. He's calling for your immediate resignation, and Fudge…Fudge is listening. He doesn't want to be the Minister for Magic associated with putting the Girl-Who-Lived in an abusive household. Kingsley told me the Board of Directors is meeting first thing in the morning. He also sent along this."

Filius rounded Albus's desk and handed him a small slip of paper. Albus studied it for a few seconds, looking down at his diminutive Charms professor. Before the Headmaster could even say anything, Filius shook his head.

"Of course I haven't read it," he said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Albus smiled at him before getting to his feet.

"I must go attend to something," he said. "I may not be back for some time."

"Albus…you know this means you very likely won't have a job to come back to," Minerva told him, and Albus nodded.

"If that is how it must be, then so be it," he said. "Minerva, I trust you in my stead. I'm sorry that our time together has come to such an abrupt end. I shall be along shortly to collect my personal effects."

With that, and leaving behind a bewildered Filius and an absolutely livid Minerva, he directed Fawkes to land on his arm before disappearing in flash of flame.

"Well," Minerva spoke crisply, "I suppose I have a meeting with Cornelius Fudge."

…...

**Chapter One: Meet Halle**

The taxi pulled up to a stop in front of Number 4, Privet Drive, halting directly in front of a lone woman clutching a large umbrella against the deluge of summer rain spilling from the sky. Petunia Newby stepped forward, opening the door and smiling down as a young redheaded girl grinned right back. Halle Evans stepped from the warmth of the car into the damp, rainy morning, passing a few drops but managing to stay under the shelter of her aunt's umbrella. With her free arm, Aunt Petunia wrapped her in a hug.

"Good to see you, Halle dear," she said fondly. "How was the trip?"

"Ghastly," Halle grumbled. "It rained every minute from Grimmauld Place to here. I haven't seen the sunlight in sooo loooong!"

"How dreadful for you," Aunt Petunia smiled at her, looking up, and Halle turned as the other door opened, a shaggy-haired man emerging and opening an umbrella of his own. "Sirius."

"Alright, Tuni?"

"Be more alright if you stopped calling me that," Aunt Petunia smirked at him, but she shared a one-armed hug with Sirius as he approached. "It's good to see you again."

"I'll get the luggage," Sirius told Halle, waving her toward the house. "You get inside out of this rain."

Halle would have protested, but it _was _abysmal outside, and their luggage consisted of two suitcases, each with Interior Expansion Charms to fit two weeks' worth of clothes in a fairly small compartment. Sirius wouldn't exactly be taxing himself with the effort. She followed Aunt Petunia up the short path to Number 4, a small but comfortable house that looked very much the same as nearly ever other house in Little Whinging, save for the car in the drive.

"Is Bob around?" Halle asked as they stepped into the house, which Halle was pleased to find was warm, dry, and smelled of chocolate chip cookies! "Did you make cookies?"

"Bob's at work until six, and actually, that was your cousin's handiwork," Petunia told her. "He said he wanted cookies, and I told him if he wanted them so bad, he should make them."

"That boy continues to amaze me with his hidden talents," Halle said with a giggle and a shake of her head. She snagged up a cookie and took a bite, finding it deliciously warm and gooey. "Oh my gosh, these are amazing!"

"Oi, let my cookies alone, thief" a voice spoke at the doorway to the kitchen, and Halle saw a beefy-looking boy with a shaggy thatch of blond hair atop his head smirking at her. Dudley Newby was a few extra helpings of dinner away from being fat, but thanks to membership to the school's youth boxing team, he also had a healthy amount of muscle and stayed reasonably in shape. He and Halle didn't see a whole lot of each other throughout the year, but when they did, it was always a fun time for her.

"You mean these aren't my welcome back present?" Halle pouted, and Dudley rolled his eyes.

"Not every single one of them," he said. "Even _I'm _not that much of a glutton."

Halle just snorted, patting his tummy, which was thick but firm. "You're looking great, Dud."

The door opened, and Sirius made his way in, tossing a wave at Dudley on his way toward the guest room.

"Something smells good!" he called over his shoulder.

"Dudley made cookies!" Halle called after him.

"Nice work, Dud!"

It was picturesque and, Halle thought, a perfect summer day despite the rain.

…...

For as long as Halle Potter could remember, she had had at least four people in her life that could be counted as parents or at least significant guardians. She never wanted for attention, and indeed, more than once she had been found secluded away in a quiet corner of the McGonagall Manse's library (while under Minerva's watch) or tucked into one of the many disused rooms in Grimmauld Place (during her time with Sirius) trying to get away and be Just Halle for a moment. It was a hard thing to do when everyone knew you as the girl responsible for the downfall of Wizard Hitler 2.0 and not all of them were happy with you for it. Making a few exceptions in light of her unique circumstances, Minerva had gotten Halle a wand at the tender age of seven and exercised her legal guardianship over the girl (which she shared with her godfather, Sirius) to tote her along a few months a year and train her in basic magic.

Those were usually her summer months, spent bouncing between Grimmauld Place in London and Caithness, Scotland. When it was time for Minerva to go back to Hogwarts and resume her duties as Headmistress, Halle spent a couple weeks with Aunt Petunia, her last living blood family, before heading off to the classy muggle primary school she attended on Sirius's dime while staying with him full-time in Grimmauld Place. It was a bit hectic at times, but Halle wouldn't trade it for the world; there were so many people that cared about her well-being, and she could do nothing more than appreciate that fact.

"I think your cousin has a future as a baker," Sirius said as he strode into the guest room with an armful of blankets and pillows, tossing them to the floor.

"Are you actually going to sleep on the floor?" Halle asked. "Aunt Petunia has a camp bed she can get out of the attic."

"You've a lot to learn about kipping at a friend's house as a witch," Sirius told her, reaching into his bag so deep that Halle could only see his legs for a moment, his entire upper body disappearing into the enlarged interior. He soon came out dragging along a mattress that seemed to bend and fold in ways that made Halle's head hurt in order to squeeze out of the limited space the diameter of the bag provided. With a muffled _fwump_, he settled it onto the remaining floor space in the guest room, a full queen size mattress.

"You packed your mattress?" Halle asked flatly.

"Ever since I was a kid," Sirius told her. "Used to drive your dad mad."

Halle amused herself momentarily with the mental image of a twelve year old Sirius producing a massive mattress from seemingly nowhere and James Potter's no-doubt exasperated reaction. Her own suitcase was open, but she was only rummaging around for her toiletry bag, which was sure to cause less of a stir than most of a bed.

"You looking forward to a couple weeks away from it all?" Sirius asked her as he went about the laborious task of situating all of his borrowed blankets and pillows on the mattress. "No lessons, no adoring fans, no people fawning over your every move."

"The fawning is the worst part," Halle sighed, slumping onto her back on her bed. "Did you see _Witch Weekly _had an article last week about me getting lip gloss? I mean…_lip gloss_. They tried to make it seem like I was all grown up and turning into a young woman or something, but it was just…."

"Lip gloss," Sirius finished for her, and she threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Lip gloss!"

"Well, for the next couple of weeks, you can just relax in the muggle world," he told her. "Then I can ship your little arse off to Hogwarts and get a few months of peace."

"Oh, you'll miss me soooo muuuuch," Halle pouted at him, giggling when he tossed a throw pillow at him. "Poor Tom's gonna have to reserve you a stool at the Leaky Cauldron every night so you can drown your sorrows."

"Excuse me?" Sirius asked. "Little girl, I have a wine cellar. I drown my sorrows at home, all by myself, like a proper depressive."

"Forgive me for thinking you were some sort of casual drunkard," Halle told him with mock gravity. "I can see I was mistaken."

Sirius burst into chuckles, tousling her hair as he tended to whenever Halle reminded him of her parents. He often said she was a perfectly scary combination of both of them, with Lily's unrivaled cleverness and James's penchant for trouble. With Minerva McGonagall and Sirius Black as the defining influences in her life, it was hardly surprising.

"You really are your parents' child," he said, which brought a smile to Halle's face.

"Genetically speaking, yes," she said. "I am in fact the child of my mother and father."

"And just like your mother, you're a - "

Halle didn't get to find out what annoying aspect of her mother she imitated so perfectly (though she had some guesses), as at that moment, a voice shouted to her from the hallway.

"Halle!" Dudley called. "We're taking over the sitting room tonight! Fort time!"

"Fort time!" Halle echoed enthusiastically. "Do we have supplies?"

"More blankets!" Dudley called, his voice fading as he plodded back downstairs. Halle turned to Sirius, who leaned protectively over his collection of blankets and pillows.

"You know I need at least seventeen blankets to sleep at night!" he insisted.

"But I need these for wholesome childhood memories!" Halle countered. "Are you going to deprive me a proper childhood?"

"You're going to deprive me of a good night's sleep!" Sirius contested.

"I'll just cast a Stunning Spell on you," Halle rebutted. "It's good practice and a way for you to get to sleep tonight."

"The worst mistake Minerva ever made was convincing the Ministry to not put a Trace on you," Sirius told her. "Do you remember that poor frog you gave - "

"You _always_ bring up the frog!" Halle huffed. "I was eight years - "

"_Wings_, Halle Potter," Sirius smirked at her. "You gave an unsuspecting frog _wings_."

"Minerva set him right."

"After he flew into her window."

"Well, he sussed out how to use them, then, didn't he?"

"That doesn't change the fact that you're not getting these - "

"_Accio_!" Halle said, whipping her wand at the blankets. A couple of large comforters flew at her, and she had a moment to contemplate how heavy a such a thick and cozy pile of linens could be before she was bowled over by their momentum, landing in a giggling heap.

"Halle!" Dudley's voice called. "Quit mucking about and bring those blankets!"

…...

"How's she been?" Petunia asked, setting a glass before Sirius and dropping a single ice cube in before pouring a generous helping of scotch. Sirius took up the glass, studying it while listening to the two kids enthusiastically construct their fort in the sitting room. The two adults were in the kitchen, waiting for Bob to arrive with dinner. "She seems in good spirits."

"She's learning so fast," Sirius sighed. "She's sharp as a tack, like her Mum. She just used a perfect Summoning Charm upstairs. I didn't teach her that, and I'm sure Minerva didn't. She just…picked it up from her books."

"Is that a powerful one?" Petunia questioned him as she took a sip of her own drink, a simpler cup of tea.

"It's normally for third-years," Sirius told her. "Nothing terribly advanced, but certainly beyond the capabilities of most her age. It's a bit scary, Tuni. She's going to grow into the strongest witch of her age, you mark my words."

"That's…wonderful to hear, actually," Petunia said, ignoring the use of her hated nickname. "I was so worried that after that night, she might have…problems."

"None whatsoever," Sirius said with a shake of his head. "If anything, her eyes are a bit _too_ sharp. D'you know, I think she's picked up lip-reading? The other day, she asked me about something I said to Minerva out on the doorstep. She'd watched the conversation from two floors up and picked out a few words."

"She'll be trouble in a few years," Petunia chortled.

"She already _is_," Sirius grumbled. "Thank Merlin I have Minerva McGonagall as a partner. She's the only one with half a hope of keeping the child of James and Lily Potter on the straight and narrow."

They fell silent for a moment, sipping at their respective drinks while the children clamored on in the sitting room. It sounded like there was a small disagreement as to the best way to reinforce the fort's western fortifications.

Fort construction was apparently serious business to these two.

"So how have you been?" Sirius asked, and Petunia glanced toward the sitting room. The ruckus was loud, and the two kids seemed to have gotten a _Dr. Who_ marathon going, so they would likely not be overheard.

"Pregnant," she said with a small smile, letting the statement sink in. Sirius's eyes shot wide, and he coughed into his glass of scotch, setting it down and flashing her a beaming grin.

"Are you?" he chuckled. "Tuni, that's great! Does Dud know?"

"Not yet," Petunia shook her head. "I'm only a couple months along. I wanted to get to the second trimester before we told everyone. I'm just letting you know because you're family. I think I'll be letting everyone know on Halle's birthday."

"Stealing the show, are you?"

"After the festivities, of course," Petunia insisted. "I know eleven is the big one for you magic types. Has she gotten her Hogwarts letter yet?"

"She did just yesterday," Sirius said. "You'd think she'd never heard of the place, she got so excited. You know, I think she didn't think she was good enough for the place."

"Sounds like she could be a teacher in a few years," Petunia pointed out.

"You don't know the half of it," Sirius snorted. "She'll probably run the place once she's finished there."

At that moment, there was a series of knocks at the door, the familiar "shave and a haircut" followed by the two-tone doorbell. Petunia rose, but she knew she didn't have a chance of beating the little ones to the door.

They absolutely adored Bob.

"Heh-hey, Halle's here!" an excited voice with the faintest roll of an Irish accent spoke from the entryway. "How's my little pal doing?"

"Hungry!" Halle said, hopping eagerly and pawing at the takeaway bags hanging from Bob's hands. Petunia smelled Pevensy's Burgers, a new but popular restaurant not too far away. Bob held a small bit of disdain for Americans, but by God did he love the food, especially a decent cheeseburger.

Petunia emerged into the entryway to see Bob, a shorter than average man who certainly looked like he enjoyed a cheeseburger quite often. He was a bit round, though nowhere near as vast as Petunia's first husband, and while Vernon Dursley had been menacing in his size, Bob merely seemed eternally huggable, a fact he demonstrated by pulling both little ones into an embrace.

"Well, far be it from me to keep a growing young lady from her dinner," Bob chuckled, passing a bag to Halle. "That's for both of you now, so you share."

Halle passed the bag to Dudley, who tore off to their fort in the living room. Petunia was glad to see her niece linger long enough to give Bob a proper hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Missed you," she said.

"Missed you, too, little lady," he said with a smile of such warmth that Petunia found herself unable to wait to make him a father again. Halle sped off after her cousin, and Petunia smiled as she went in for a hug of her own.

"How was work?" she asked.

"The usual," Bob said, pecking her on the lips and heading for the kitchen. "Sirius! How you been?"

"Not bad, but I heard some really good news," Sirius told him with a wink, and Bob's grin widened.

"I actually need to talk to you about that, actually," he said. "Because as much as I try to keep it a secret from Petunia," he lowered his voice to a stage whisper, "I have no idea what I'm doing."

Sirius chuckled with a backward glance to the mess of blankets and chairs in the sitting room.

"What, you think I do?"


End file.
